Hi, I'm 20, female, grad student. I posted a couple days ago in the thyroid forum because I have Hashimoto's but normal thyroid and negative antibodies. Progression is apparently in the "normal" stage so treatment is probably not an option right now. But I have a potentially bigger problem.

PCP ran ANA test a week ago (last Friday) and nurse called Monday and said my ANA was negative. The previous ANA test (back in early June 2010) came back positive, 1:160, fine speckled. Now that was my GI doc interpreting the results because he was trying to figure out my unexplained anemia (iron and GI were ok). I'm not anemic anymore. I was shocked when the same nurse called yesterday and said my ANA was positive, 1:160, HOMOGENOUS PATTERN. smith, dna and "muscle" antibodies were normal. Everything I've read says that Homogenous is "very specific" for Lupus. However I apparently have no antibodies. When I was being diagnosed with hashimotos at age 10 my ANA was elevated, homogenous pattern, and I had a "lupus marker" whatever that is. I was 10 years old so doc just chalked it up to my great aunt who had lupus and said not to worry it's not lupus.

Should I worry? I have the following symptoms all the time (for about a month now) but some days I feel so sick I can barely move.all-over dull body achemoderate to severe achy lower backachy/pounding headacheachy chest pain when breathing"I'm walking on a rolling log" off-balance feeling.tight stiff muscles all over."haven't slept in a week" fatigue (even though I'm getting 8-10 hours at night)difficulty swallowing--I have to drink everything, even water through a straw and cut my food into little bitty bites. even then it's hard to swallow.disorentiation (happens 2-3 times a day) i.e I'll go from my room to the kitchen when I need to hang up the laundry in the laundry room and I'll wander around for a minute in the kitchen trying to figure out where the washer and dryer are!eyes REALLY sensitive to light.really itchy skin

I am on some prescription psych meds that have some of these symptoms as potential side effects however I've been on them for several years and the same dosage for over a year. the above symptoms just started a few weeks ago.

Thanks for reading this long post. I hope you all have a good weekend :)

"The homogeneous (smooth) pattern is found in a variety of connective tissue diseases as well as in patients taking particular drugs such as certain anti-arrhythmics, anti-convulsants or anti-hypertensives. This pattern is also the pattern that is most commonly seen in healthy individuals who have positive ANA tests."

So that can mean you might be fine, or you might have an auto-immune disorder or a drug reactions. Your symptoms would certainly fit into any of several autoimmune diseases, including Lupus, but could also be signs of something else entirely. A positive ANA generally indicates an auto-immune disease, but they are primary differentiated by symptoms. ANA is only 1 of 11 characteristics used to diagnose Lupus. The list is here.

I would advise you to make a list of your symptoms and when they appear. Then find a rheumotologist who is familiar with Lupus - s/he'll also know about other autoimmune diseases. Check out lupus.org, find your local chapter, find the list of drs who participate on their advisory board - those are the ones who are interested in lupus. If you want a personal referral you'll have to go to a support meeting and ask people outside the meeting, lupus.org can't direct you to a particular dr.

If you are concerned enough about your symptoms to post here, that means to me that you are concerned enough to find a good rheumotolgist and find the answers!

Best wishes,Lynnwood, Lupus & Sjogren's Moderator"Life is far too important to be taken seriously" - Oscar Wilde

I am o confused, I have fibromylgia and osteoarthritis. Now the rheu arth dr took my blood and added homogeneous at tern and it omens back 1:160 high, sh tells me there is a blood problem. It might not be anything o o your internist, I think she should have contacted him and explained herself, she said he might refer me to a hematologist.Now the interest said he will contact the rheu art dr.Should I not wait and go ahead and make an appt with a hematologist?